Above: The intersection on Hyde and Lombard Streets, just above the start of the curvy portion of Lombard, as seen in real life and Grand Theft Auto.

Note the GTA version shows the Transamerica building clearly to the east although Coit Tower actually is the most visible structure and the Transamerica building isn’t visible at all from the top of Hyde/Lombard. Draw distance is also significantly higher in real life than on the PS2, at least on clear days.

I am a big fan of the taxi driving mission on the Grand Theft Auto series. After driving taxi in real life for a few months here is a quick comparison of the two experiences…